Book Review: Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

 

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Content Warning: bullying, emotional abuse, parental abandonment, cancer, cheating. There is also in-depth discussion of loneliness, emotional abandonment and the feelings of being different/an outcast. Some of these topics may trigger some readers.

Delilah Green hasn't been back to her hometown, Bright Falls, in a long, long time. There's a reason for that: she's left behind her emotionally distant stepmother and her stepsister, Astrid, who seems as if she doesn't care either way if Delilah is in her life. Making a new life for herself as a photographer in New York, Delilah is determined to leave behind the ghosts of her lonely past and troubled childhood, but when Astrid informs Delilah that she's getting married (and will pay Delilah a huge sum for being her wedding photographer), she realizes she can't worm her way out of this one. But there is one thing in Bright Falls that interests Delilah -- the beautiful, warm single mother, Claire, who has been one of Astrid's best friends since childhood. As they bond over wedding plan disasters and trying to make Astrid see that her fiancé is not the kind of man she wants to spend the rest of her life with, Claire and Delilah slowly begin to realize that perhaps the casual sexual relationship they've developed might hold some very real feelings... and maybe even love.

This book is so incredibly popular, and while most of the time I don't get the hype of romcoms and contemporary romance (just not my usual cup of tea), I think Delilah Green Doesn't Care might've managed to make me a full-blown romcom fan. Yes, everyone: it really is as good as everyone says. The hype here is well-deserved, and everything about this book will make you feel good and perhaps, like it did for me, open your mind to a genre you might not normally pick up!

First and foremost, it is the two leads, Claire and Delilah, who make this story so worth the read. They are opposites (a bit of a grumpy x sunshine going on here), but they also have many things in common, and I loved seeing them gradually bond and support one another through the conflicts and issues that arise in their lives. For example, Claire has to deal with the father of her daughter, and Delilah is dealing with a lot of trauma and baggage from her lonely, unloved childhood. I related a lot to the problems that Claire and Delilah have, particularly Claire's fear of abandonment and trust issues, and Delilah's fear that she is simply unlovable. So many readers will see themselves in both of these wonderful characters, who are emotional, strong, brave, and sometimes cowardly, just like real, breathing people.

Usually, there's an issue with side characters being as well-developed as the leads, but that's not a problem that plagues this book. Iris, Astrid and Claire's other best friend, didn't initially appeal to me, but as I continued to read, I realized that she was a three-dimensional character who cares a lot about those in her life (and sometimes gets a bit aggressive because of it). Astrid herself is beautifully complex, rising above the "evil stepsister" stereotype and becoming something altogether different. In a lot of romcoms, I think characters like Astrid are depicted as being fundamentally flawed and villainous, primarily because they are repressed, straitlaced, and sometimes difficult to talk to (and find it hard to open up). Instead of relying on those boring clichés, all of Herring Blake's characters become their own people, and lovable because of it. 

Another fantastic thing about this book is that because of the depth of the characters and emotional relationships, nothing is ever boring. Even when they're just going camping or hanging out at Claire's bookstore, you want to keep reading, to see what will develop between all of them next. The focus on Delilah's growing relationship with Astrid was beautiful as well, and I loved that there is a bit of a love story between sisters here, too. The message here is that it's never too late to form a meaningful relationship with those in your life, or to heal from wounds you thought would be a part of you forever.

The plot is relatively simple, but in my opinion, that's a good thing. It allows you to sit with Delilah and Claire (and the rest of the group) and it keeps the romance from taking a backseat while also managing to keep you interested in what will happen next with the storyline. Speaking honestly, I can't think of a single flaw that bothered me while reading Delilah Green Doesn't Care. This book is, for me, simply perfect!

Highly recommended, even if you aren't usually a romcom/romance reader!